Interview with Carolina Kostner: To play Carmen on ice is a challenge for me

Interview with Carolina Kostner: To play Carmen on ice is a challenge for me

Last Saturday, Italian figure skater Carolina Kostner became European champion for the fourth time in her career. She hasn't won Olympic Games or world championships, but has long been considered the embodiment of artistry in figure skating. "When she is out on the ice, it's like she talks to you," - these words of one of the Russian coaches very clearly reflect the essence of Carolina's skating. Andrey Simonenko, R-Sport agency correspondent, had a little off-ice chat with four-times European champion.

- Carolina, for some reason it seems to me that this victory for you was the most emotional out of all four ...

- Perhaps it's true. You know, now, when I go to competitions, I think, maybe next year I won't be here. I've been skating in championships for so long - these European championships for me are tenth in a row. And I think for me it is not only a great achievement, but also a honor and responsibility. You know why, a week ago, one journalist told me: do you know that you are now on the same list as Irina Slutskaya and Katarina Witt? No one else has achieved it. And these athletes have always been idols for me. And I thought, wow, maybe now I'm someone else's idol, too. An idol cannot go out and skate badly. Must meet their idol status. These are my thoughts right now.

- I've been wanting to ask you for many months, how did you get an idea to make your short program to Shostakovich music? What is this strange choice?

- My choreographer Lori Nichol sent me the music via e-mail and said, just listen, this is something unusual. I listened, and at first I thought, it was awful. These sounds (pictures): "wiiiiii, wiiiii" ... But then I scratched my head and thought, well, I don't know, Lori couldn't send it to me just like that, there must be something to it. I listened to the melody again, and again, and again, and I thought: if Lori and I make a program to this music, it will, at least, be interesting. And I told her: let's try and see how it works out. I generally like to try interesting things. Well, I came to her on the ice, we played this music, and suddenly a bunch of little girls, who were there at that moment, started to dance. We laughed, looking at that - and said to each other: yes!

- What kind of music is easier to skate to: when you have a certain role on the ice, like in 'Carmen", or some abstract piece of music, like Shostakovich?

- For me the main thing is for the music to not be too well known in skating. For this reason, for example, a couple of years ago I skated to "Riders On The Storm" by The Doors. I like to discover something new, not only for audience but also for myself. I would like someday to make a program to "Carmen". But I don't feel ready for it yet.

- But you performed to two very well-known arias from "Tosca" and "Carmen" at the show "Opera on Ice" recently. Which one, by the way, did you like more?

- Actually, I liked them both. They are so different. I think I looked more natural in "Tosca," because I'm so not Carmen. I'm not like the heroine of the opera (laughs). I think you understand what I'm talking about. And for me, it isn't easy to play Carmen - even on the ice, for the two minutes that the program lasts. I would call it a challenge. But you probably know, Stephane Lambiel was the choreographer of this program, and when we were working on it, he went all out - started waving his arms, saying you should do so, this position (shown), then this one. I covered my face with my hands and said, okay, well, I'll try ...

- Are you going to make any other program with Lambiel?

- We didn't plan anything else so far. But I think he's a very good choreographer, he has a great talent for that. In general, Stephane has a very artistic nature, I think he has taste for art. I'm sure he will make a lot of outstanding programs in the future.

- Carolina, now in Russia there is a boom in women's singles figure skating, yet in junior. There is a large number of talented young skaters. What do you think about Adelina Sotnikova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva?

- I like them very much. Sometimes, by the way, when I look at them, I remember myself at their age. I think: wow, I will soon be twenty-five, and it feels like I was fifteen just yesterday...

- When I look at Sotnikova, I also remember you at 15.

- It's true, Adelina looks like me when I was younger. And Polina Korobeinikova, too. But you know, I'm not implying anything, they are already very good skaters, but to become great champions, they still have so much to go through... I was there, too, ten years ago, when I just entered the international circuit, I had no idea what it would be like... There were so many things to adjust, to adapt to. Somehow I remember a saying: the road of life is never straight forward. When I was younger, I thought that I could be a superhero, do anything. But then my life has proved many times that I'm not a superhero. And eventually I came to the conclusion that you just have to do what you can. Do not fly in the clouds, but stay on the ground. And to fight, fight all the time.

- What do you think about your future rivalry with the young Russian skaters in European and world championships?

- I want to compete with them, of course. But I will be honest: this rivalry doesn't have any special meaning to me because they are like me. They are my competitors just like everyone else.

thank you so much for this very interesting interview! i really like carolina--if only there were enough gold medals so all my favorites can win worlds this year! one for mao, one for akiko, one for caro, too. maybe even polina K. sorry, american ladies

re kirkbiggestfan-- i know lambiel choreographed tosca and carmen for opera on ice, but i'm thankful she's now skating the hallelujah program for exhibitions-- mainly because the carmen program looked awkward to my eyes, and tosca program had a costume that just... *sighs* hallelujah looks more like lori's work than stephane's to me, but what do i know

Nichol choreographed Kostner's programs this season? OK I guess that sort of makes up for those crap Nagasu programs

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Mirai's short was actually lovely, and from the way she told the story of choosing the music, it was at one point in the season something she actually wanted to skate. It's not fair to blame Lori for Mirai's underachieving. She's crapped out some programs that aren't good matches for the skater no matter how hard they sell it, like some of the stuff she made for Denis, but I think both of her programs for Mirai would have been great, if Mirai had just put the effort in.

They've been a couple when they were teenagers, about 14-16 years old. Then they split. I honestly don't think that Stephane is interested in woman anymore : but I think they were a beautiful couple and they are still friends. I know that she admires his skating very much. And it's great they can stay as good friends!
Thank you for sharing this interview!

- It's true, Adelina looks like me when I was younger. And Polina Korobeinikova, too. But you know, I'm not implying anything, they are already very good skaters, but to become great champions, they still have so much to go through... I was there, too, ten years ago, when I just entered the international circuit, I had no idea what it would be like... There were so many things to adjust, to adapt to. Somehow I remember a saying: the road of life is never straight forward. When I was younger, I thought that I could be a superhero, do anything. But then my life has proved many times that I'm not a superhero. And eventually I came to the conclusion that you just have to do what you can. Do not fly in the clouds, but stay on the ground. And to fight, fight all the time.

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Carolina is no nice and lovely
Yes, Adelina and especially Polina K. is reminiscent of her younger years

i know lambiel choreographed tosca and carmen for opera on ice, but i'm thankful she's now skating the hallelujah program for exhibitions-- mainly because the carmen program looked awkward to my eyes, and tosca program had a costume that just... *sighs* hallelujah looks more like lori's work than stephane's to me, but what do i know

if someone knows who choreographed hallelujah, please do tell!

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I think that 'Hallelujah' is Nichol's work - definitely not Stephane's. As for 'Carmen' and 'Tosca' - Stephane told that Carolina actually used very little of the choreography/moves that he showed her - she simply didn't have enough time for that, as she was working on her competition programs then. The other reason why 'Carmen' looked a bit awkward was probably the same that Carolina told about - she wasn't very comfortable with the image of Carmen.

why do most skaters like this one, its just another overused music
and I dislike its sort of creepy-like-funeral tune.

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Yes, the music is overused, but in no way I can agree abot the "creepy-like-funeral tune" . And I think that for such a special event as 'Opera on Ice', where an orchestra, chorus and a singer were playing and singing it live, it was quite forgivable. But sometime later, if she is capable to play Carmen better than now, it could even be an interesting and original choice for Kostner, exactly because that's not her type of character.

They've been a couple when they were teenagers, about 14-16 years old. Then they split. I honestly don't think that Stephane is interested in woman anymore : but I think they were a beautiful couple and they are still friends.

Posted today in the Challenge Cup competition thread in Kiss and Cry (she is scheduled to compete in The Hague this week) and I thought this interview in German, dated Feb. 19, 2012, should be cross-posted here in GSD:

Carolina choreographed the most of her exhibitions from 2006/2007 on by herself, the first was "Solamente per Carolina", composed for Carolina by Robert Werner and then all the others.
And they aren't someone else style, but hers